Real Salt Lake: 'No comment' on XanGo mismanagement accusations

Employees of Xango and fans of REAL Salt Lake crowd around the MLS Cup to have their photo taken with championship trophy as RSL officials brought the cup to the Xango headquarters in Lehi for a presentation from Xango to RSL players. Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009

Stuart Johnson, Deseret News

Summary

Real Salt Lake, the Major League Soccer team that bears the XanGo brand on the front of its jersies, declined to comment on pending litigation involving the juice brand's five founders.

"Real Salt Lake values its long-standing partnership with Xango," Trey Fitzgerald, Real Salt Lake Vice President of Broadcasting and Communications, said in an email to the Deseret News. "We have no comment on the referenced litigation."

Real Salt Lake became the first Major League Soccer team to sell jersey-front sponsorship in 2005 when XanGo and the Sandy-based club entered into a corporate sponsorship agreement. Shortly after, RSL and XanGo announced sponsorship of the XanGo Cup, a discontinued exhibition match series between RSL and several international clubs.

XanGo also sponsored RSL's former practice facility in Lehi. Known as XanGo Field, RSL players used the facility until the beginning of 2012 when the team began using America First Field, a practice field located at State Street and 10000 South in Sandy, less than a mile from Rio Tinto Stadium.

On the XanGo soccer website, RSL former owner and club founder Dave Checketts is quoted as saying, "For the players, you have to put a name there that you are comfortable with."

Landon is the Sports Content Manager for DeseretNews.com. Landon has backgrounds in web development, digital product management and journalism. He previously managed FamilyNews.com for Deseret Digital Media and reported more ..